Tags:

Text Size

-

+

reset

Obama stressed the intensity of Congressional work on the issue and insisted that the financial hurdles could be overcome. “I am very optimistic about the progress,” he said. “We will find the money though savings and efficiencies within the health care system.”

Another potential stumbling block for the health care legislation is the insistence of many reformers on a government-run option that would be open to all Americans and operate alongside private insurers. Republicans and many insurance interests are deeply opposed to such a “public option,” which they fear could drive private insurers out of business.

In response to questions Tuesday, Obama stood by his support for such an option, but didn’t rule out signing reform legislation that jettisons that proposal.

“We have not drawn lines in the sand other than reform has to control costs and has to provide relief to people that don’t have health insurance,” Obama said. “Our position is a public plan makes sense.”

However, Obama explicitly referred a scenario frequently discussed by public option opponents: that the private industry might collapse, leaving a de facto single-payer, Canadian-style system. If private insurers can’t compete, “that’s something the American people should know,” he said.

Obama fielded a personal question about smoking, and whether a bill to regulate tobacco sales that he signed earlier this week could help him curb his own habit. He dodged some of the details – such as how many cigarettes he smokes per day -- but said he understood that “It’s an interesting human interest story.”

“The new law that was put in place is not about me – it’s about the next generation of kids” who could take up smoking if ads that target young people are not stopped, Obama said, adding that he is not a “daily” or “constant” smoker and does not smoke in front of his children or family.

“As former smoker, I constantly struggle,” Obama said, comparing his fight with that of a reformed drinker in Alcoholics Anonymous.

“Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes,” he said. “I’m 95 percent cured, but there are times I mess up.”

Asked if he thought a second stimulus package was necessary because of rising unemployment, Obama said, “Not yet, because I think it's important to see how the economy evolves and how effective the first stimulus is.”

Obama stressed that the full depths of the economic meltdown were not apparent when the first stimulus package was crafted, “And so it's not surprising, then, that we missed the mark in terms of our estimates of where unemployment would go,” he said.

“I think it's pretty clear now that unemployment will end up going over 10 percent, if you just look at the pattern, because of the fact that even after employers and businesses start investing again and start hiring again, typically it takes a while for that employment number to catch up with economic recovery. And we're still not at actual recovery yet. So I anticipate that this is going to be a -- a difficult -- difficult year, a difficult period.”

After taking the first question Tuesday from an Associated Press reporter, Obama turned next to a reporter from the online Huffington Post, Nico Pitney, who had apparently arranged with the White House to ask a question from an Iranian reader on the Internet. Reporters from mainstream news organizations such as NBC and Bloomberg could be seen rolling their eyes and shifting in their seats as Obama called on Pitney.

The midday session was moved inside after aides concluded that Washington’s stifling summer heat and humidity made it unwise to plant the president and reporters in the Rose Garden for a protracted exchange. The news conference was marked by several feisty retorts Obama directed at reporters.

Obama called out ABC correspondent Jake Tapper for trying to ask a question of his own while also demanding an answer to a prior reporter’s question.

“Are you the ombudsman for the White House press corps?” Obama asked.

The president also seemed to chafe at McClatchy reporter Margaret Talev’s attempt to link her query about his smoking to the recently passed anti-smoking legislation. “I think it's fair, Margaret, to just say that you just think it’s neat to ask me about my smoking as opposed to it being relevant to my new law…but that’s fine.”

Tuesday’s appearance was Obama’s fourth solo news conference at the White House and his first in the daytime. Some television executives had grouched that previous nighttime press conferences, which are aired commercial free, had cost them millions of dollars. However, the networks have been eager to feature Obama in their own prime time vehicles, such as two hours of behind-the-scenes programming that NBC aired, and repeated, earlier this month.

Readers' Comments (857)

Unlike the Neocons who are shrieking & beating the drum loudly, Obama continues to listen to the voices of Iranian reformers, who tell him they appreciate his approach. Shirin Abadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, praises Obama, and has welcomed the word "condemn" he used in this news conference. Diplomacy is a subtle art, like a chess game, and Obama gets it. He is consciously choosing and less verbally heated approach than European leaders, and with good reason. The U.S. is the major international player and we should not be showing all our cards. Obama gets it.

President Obama, during today's news conference, departed from White House protocol by calling on The Huffington Post's Nico Pitney second, in between the AP and Reuters.

However, it seemed more like a choreographed moment than break with tradition, as Obama said he knew Pitney was in attendance and would probably have a question about Iran.

According to POLITICO's Carol Lee, The Huffington Post reporter was brought out of lower press by Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest and placed just inside the barricade for reporters a few minutes before the start of the press conference.

CBS Radio's Mark Knoller, a veteran White House correspondent, said over Twitter it was "very unusual that Obama called on Huffington Post second, appearing to know the issue the reporter would ask about."

Also, Congress, quit posturing on Iran before the cameras, and get back to work. Americans are frightened: of bankruptcy should a family member have a catastrophic illness, and of prescription costs that require a cut-back on groceries.

Unlike the Neocons who are shrieking & beating the drum loudly, Obama continues to listen to the voices of Iranian reformers, who tell him they appreciate his approach. Shirin Abadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, praises Obama, and has welcomed the word "condemn" he used in this news conference. Diplomacy is a subtle art, like a chess game, and Obama gets it. He is consciously choosing and less verbally heated approach than European leaders, and with good reason. The U.S. is the major international player and we should not be showing all our cards. Obama gets it.

Unlike the Neocons who are shrieking & beating the drum loudly, Obama continues to listen to the voices of Iranian reformers, who tell him they appreciate his approach. Shirin Abadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights activist, praises Obama, and has welcomed the word "condemn" he used in this news conference. Diplomacy is a subtle art, like a chess game, and Obama gets it. He is consciously choosing and less verbally heated approach than European leaders, and with good reason. The U.S. is the major international player and we should not be showing all our cards. Obama gets it.

CBS Radio's Mark Knoller, a veteran White House correspondent, said over Twitter it was "very unusual that Obama called on Huffington Post second, appearing to know the issue the reporter would ask about."

Who wants to shriek and beat the drum loudly at Iran, Neocons don't.? What good would that do when they continue to beat up on the people and throw out diplomats of foreign countries, repeat diplomats. Diplomacy doesn't work, so clearly the Obama bow and sweet talk doesn't work either.

Obama simply didn't stick up for the people of Iran, didn't speak out enough, or didn't allow Hillary to do some behind the scenes work with the EU, or Brits. Let's face it, Obama was in shock his nice talk didn't work, his speeches didn't work and his big ego's been bruised...... He'll probably find a way to blame somebody else for calling him weak with the Iranian issue. He's no Reagan ,who's words meant something to foreign countries when he spoke unlike Obama's.....Iand now the world see's it....

Not ticking off the Mullahs and giving the mullahs absolutely nothing to use as propoganda are two different things. The people of Iran are the only people who can truly take their destiny into their own hands. If they want it, now is the time for them to take it. Thats why I am skeptical of the Iraq situation. They didn't do it for themselves, we did it for them. So what happens if they didn't want it?

It's not the Republicans who have any influence on him. Many people on our side of the aisle also support a democratic revolution in Iran, and have said so constantly. We have no use for that Nazi regime over there, with its Supreme Fuehrer who has absolute power, Revolutionary Guards modeled after the Nazi SS, and the Basiji Militia that looks very similar to the Stormtroopers or SA. I'm sure they also have something like a Reich Security Main Office to handle all the Gestapo-type stuff. Their Supreme Leader also comes across as a very rigid, fanatical old ideologue who has had dictatorial power far too long and cannot stand any contradiction or disagreement. He has completely lost touch with reality, if he was ever in touch with it in the first place.

This should be a lesson for the Iranians never to allow such a dictator again, no matter whether he uses the title of Shah, King, Emperor or Leader. At this point, the dangers of that are obvious.

OBAMA'S PRESSER -- Chip Reid: "Were you influenced at all [on Iran] by John McCain or Lindsay Graham calling you timid and weak?" Obama fires back: "What do you think?" After laughter, he continues, saying that McCain has "genuine passion" on international issues, but: "Only I am the president of the United States, and I've got responsibilities in making certain we are continually advancing our national security interests." (1:00 p.m.)

Obama it taking exactly the right pitch. Even people like Henry Kissinger, hardly a liberal, agree. The Republican partisans are trying to goad him into a misguided intervention that will backfire and allow they hardliners to gain public support for thier crack down. They are doing this because they can't stand the thought of a Democratic president getting credit for brining peace to the middle east. The fact that people will continue to die is OK with them. It is partisanship at its most repulsive!!

Obama it taking exactly the right pitch. Even people like Henry Kissinger, hardly a liberal, agree. The Republican partisans are trying to goad him into a misguided intervention that will backfire and allow they hardliners to gain public support for thier crack down. They are doing this because they can't stand the thought of a Democratic president getting credit for brining peace to the middle east. The fact that people will continue to die is OK with them. It is partisanship at its most repulsive!!